Analysis of a crisis - fairyage

ANALYSIS OF A CRISIS

Ever since its inception PAKISTAN has been passing through one crisis after another. Those who are witnessing and experiencing these political and social upheavals believe that we have reached the apex of despair, however, history shows that there is no end to the decline. It is like a black hole which has no bottom.

All societies pass through such crises at one time or another; what differentiates them is how they respond to the problems-do they submit in despair or take some action to check the decline. History gives us several examples of how to deal with such a situation but the problem is, you cannot replicate the past as it was. It requires intellectual vitality to find a relevant solution. There should be a will to change and a force to translate it into action otherwise the society will remain stagnant and unchanged.

PAKISTAN society, today, is facing political, social and economic problems which have been created by our own incapable ruling classes. There is no political stability. The country swings between corrupt  feudal democracy and military dictatorship. The society is fragmented as a result of class difference between the rich and privileged and the poor and deprived. The rich protect themselves by erecting barbed wires around their walls while the poor are left unprotected and defenseless.

Poverty pushes people either to commit suicide or to rob and kill. Religion, instead of uniting people, is diving on the basis of sects. Religious extremism and violence is resulting in bloodshed among different groups and although everybody talks about the crisis, so far no serious efforts have been made to understand it. Attempts to bring peace by the traditional method, i.e., by force, have resulted in total failure.

We have an example of such a situation in history. The Italian states in the 14th century were facing serious problems of governance. The hold of the church was very strong and blocked all venues of free thinking and expression. There was political crisis and economic downfall made the life of the poor unbearable. From time to time epidemics wiped out large numbers of the population. Gloom and despair prevailed all over Italy.

Under these circumstances, the response of the Italian intellectuals was to change the society by reshaping and reconstructing it on the basis of new ideas and thoughts. That was the beginning of the Renaissance and the emergence of humanism. It was not merely the revival of ancient Greek and Roman culture; creative ideas were produced to liberate the society form the grip of medieval ideology and transform it into a modern and progressive one.

They chose education as a tool for change and introduced a new educational system which was quite different from the scholastic educational tradition of the medieval period. The new subjects which were introduced were moral philosophy, rhetoric, grammar, logic, history and classical literature. They called these "HUMANITIES". The main focus of these subjects was to train citizens in the importance of moral values to change and reform society. These subjects broadened the outlook and created the curiosity to learn more in order to understand society and its problems.

The importance of education can be understood by an episode in the history of Florence. During the Renaissance period, the city was invaded and besieged by the ruler of Milan. Florence was not in a position to defend against the invader. Luckily, it was saved by the sudden death of Milan's ruler. When the siege was over, the ruling classes discussed how best to defend the city in case of future invasion. Interestingly, the decision was not to fortify the city or to make its military powerful but to educate the citizens and widen their participation in the political and general affairs of the city.

History gives us this model; we cannot replicate it as it was in Italy but we can learn form it. We know that our educational system is obsolete and outdated and is not producing useful and capable citizens. Therefore, if we wish to change society and arrest its decline, there is a need to introduce liberal education. Our education system should be liberated form the shackles of ideology and include philosophy, history, literature, sociology, anthropology and psychology.

When a society declines, the first sign is the decline of morality. It happens when an individual loses his association with society and becomes detached form its interests. It is the objective of liberal education to create a deep sense of association and close relationship between the individual and society. He then devotes his energy and talents to reform and change his environment.

Those who believe that they can survive in isolation are wrong. When an epidemic strikes it does not distinguish between the rich and poor. High walls and armed guards are not a long-term option to live in peace. The choice is there: to invest, not in defense or on perks and privileges of ruling classes, but in education. If citizens, irrespective of their class and creed are educated, they would not only change the society but make it peaceful and prosperous.

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